Star's Cross Lovers
by maramouse
Summary: On the eve of a Firelight Festival years in the future, a Danes brings up his dislike of the tradition. Only twist is, he isn't the Danes everyone suspects...and his plan ends up backfiring when a pair of REAL star crossed lovers is brought into the mix.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is just a little fluffy story that came to me. It will probably be around 4-5 chapters long at the most, and I already have some more of it written. It takes place about eleven years after the Season Finale (2019!) and is a story of Luke's and Lorelai's middle...and what happens when that darn town gets involved. ;)

Oh, and I don't own anything besides Will and Lucy.

XOXOXOXO

"Please, please, please?"

"No."

"Please, please, with coffee ice cream, hot fudge, and a cherry on top?"

"Nice try, but I hate coffee ice cream. I can't believe you eat that stuff."

"But it's good! And it's all I can have until I can drink real coffee."

"You shouldn't drink coffee. It's gonna stunt your growth."

"That's not true! Rory and Mom are so tall."

"You're eight."

"So?"

"So even if it did stunt Rory's and Mom's growths, they were tall enough that it didn't matter. You don't want to be the same height you are now forever, do you?"

"But Rory had her first cup of coffee when she was only thirteen."

"Wait, Mom told you that?"

"No, Rory did when she was last here, and you were at the bookstore with Jess. We were at Daddy's, and Mom and Auntie Sookie had just left for the inn, and she got coffee, and I asked her."

"You really asked her how old she was when she first had coffee?"

"Well, yeah, I wanted to know!"

"Luce, even if Rory got coffee at thirteen, that doesn't mean you're gonna be able to. Dad hates coffee, remember?"

"Yeah, but Rory said her first coffee was Daddy's, and he let her! So he'll have to let me too."

"But you're his daughter! The last thing he wants is another Mom."

"Well, I'll bet he let April have coffee!"

"April hates coffee, Luce. You know that. Besides, coffee ice cream has sugar and stuff in it. Real coffee is gross."

"Yeah, but I won't think so! Rory said that when I asked her about the coffee that me liking coffee is in-in-"

"Inevitable?"

"Yeah, inevable! How do you know that word? You're only two years older than me!"

"Cause I read."

"I read too! I finished _Henry and Mudge and the Big Sleepover _last week."

"Well, I read bigger books."

"What, like _Harry Potter_? I don't need to read that; I saw the movies! Besides, Snape is too scary!"

"I told you before, he turns out good in the end."

"Yeah, but he's so mean to Harry! Anyway, that's not the point. Can you take me tomorrow?"

"I told you already. No."

"Why?"

"Cuz it's stupid and boring and it's the same every year, that's why."

"Nuh-uh! Last year, Miss Patty told us the story of how she met her third husband. She never told that one before!"

"Okay, Miss Patty's story might not be different, but that's not the story you want to hear anyway. _That _one is the same every year! Dad said it didn't even happen, anyway."

"It did too or else how did Stars Hallow get founded?"

"I don't know, but that story Miss Patty tells is a rip off of _Romeo and Juliet_."

"Is not!"

"It is too!"

"Is not!"

"Have you even read _Romeo and Juliet_?"

"Have you?"

"Well, no, but-"

Luke Danes was serving dinner to Gypsy, when he heard two familiar voices arguing up from his old apartment. "Ah, geez," he muttered. He turned to Lane, who was sitting at the counter, taking a break. "Lane, do you mind covering my tables for a minute?"

Lane gave him a knowing smile. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the two voices coming from upstairs, would it?"

"Something about it, yeah."

"Don't worry. I'm just glad Steve and Kwan are slightly past that whole yelling at each other thing. Of course, there was that whole 'not playing Mommy's or Daddy's instruments' rule which they couldn't abide to and now the noise in there mostly comes from them both playing their instruments at the same time, but hey. Maybe it's for the best that even though they're only a year older than Will, they went through all their stages together and don't have to deal with an younger sibling on top of things."

"Luke, my wife and son and I are hungry," Kirk complained from his table. Although Kirk and Lulu had gone eight blissful, married years without the threat of little Kirks running around, now that Lulu was pregnant, Kirk had become even more possessive than ever. Lorelai still wouldn't let Luke forget that he had missed the famous town meeting the month before where Lulu had announced to everyone-including Kirk-that she was pregnant, and Kirk had literally fallen to the floor in a dead faint.

"Kirk, he's getting to it," Lane said, coming up to their table, and getting out her notepad. "Now, what are you two having today?"

"Luke promised he'd take our orders today," said Kirk, "and it's not the two of us. It's three. Lulu needs extra food so that my son can eat, too."

"Luke is going to check on his kids, which I'm sure you'll understand once Kirk Junior here is born," Lane said with irritation. "Now what are the _three _of you having today?"

The last words Luke heard as he began to travel up the stairs was Kirk saying, "My wife and son would like-"

Luke feared for the sanity of Kirk's son. After eight years, he thought he had gotten past the stage of worrying about a mini Kirk, but apparently not. _Though I shouldn't be too hard on Kirk_, he thought, as he approached the door. _After all, I already have two kids running around with Lorelai's and my chromosomes to deal with. _

Upon opening the door, Luke found that the scene was just as bad as he had feared. Both children were sitting on the couch that he had left in the apartment. Lucy had pulled up her knees to her chest and was sobbing, and Will had pulled out a book and was ignoring her. Luke sighed inwardly, aware that karma really was an awful bitch.

As soon as she saw him, Lucy ran over to him and buried her face in her head. He hugged Lucy back, glancing at Will over the top of Lucy's head. Will just rolled his eyes and turned another page of his book.

The kids really were, as too many Stars Hallow residents had told them, unquestionably Lorelai's and his kids. Will, though more of a reader and more academic than Luke had been at his age, was quiet and serious, though unlike Luke, he was mostly disinterested in taking care of his younger sister. His favorite sport was baseball, and as of right now, he was still wearing a baseball cap from recess, where he and his friends had played a game of indoor baseball in the gym. The baseball cap he was wearing was backwards, but how could one expect anything less from a Danes?

Lucy, on the other hand, was as extroverted and full of boundless energy as Will was not. She read occasionally and had tried soccer to not much avail, but her favorite things in the world were dance classes at Miss Patty's. Unfortunately for Luke and Lorelai, her favorite dance style was tap, which had resulted in the kitchen floor being scratched. Even now, they would be interrupted from a conversation by Lucy tapping on the special tap proof floor in her bedroom. To her credit, Lucy was talented; she was good at ballet and jazz too, and she could often be heard belting out showtunes from her bedroom. Miss Patty had even bragged on many occasions that Lucy was her best student; Will, in response, replied that she was just the loudest.

The kids also looked remarkably similar to the parents whose personalities they took after the most. Both had Lorelai's eyes, and Lucy had Luke's nose, but Will had the same facial structure as Luke and the same scruffy brown hair. Lucy had Lorelai's dark brown curls, a feature she loved to flaunt. She also eagerly wore the clothes her mother brought her. While today Will was simply wearing blue jeans and a tee-shirt with blue and green stripes on it, Lucy was wearing white pants and a pink shirt with a picture of a giant Hello Kitty on it. Today, her wrists were covered in bracelets. On her right wrist, she had a series of collectible silly bracelets she and Lorelai had found on Ebay; on her left wrist, she had a rubber band bracelet, specially customized by Lorelai, that read, _I (Heart) the Bangles _on it.

"Okay, Luce, calm down," Luke said, as Lucy hugged him tighter. She had now begun to hiccup from so many sobs. "I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on." He glared at his son, who turned another page in his book. "Will, put that down now."

"I didn't make her cry!"

Luke sighed. Sometimes Will's moods reminded him of teenage Jess's. "I didn't say you did. However, I heard both you of yelling, and if I'm not mistaken, both of you know that you're supposed to keep your noise level down when I have customers downstairs. Now, will someone told me what happened, or am I going to have to make you stay at Babette's when your mother and I are working?"

He said this mainly for Will's sake, who hated how Babette's constant babbling kept him from reading, but Lucy's eyes lit up. "Oh, please let Babette babysit us! I always get to play with her cats, and Babette said that if I'm there when Pudding has her kittens, then I get to help name them!"

"Well, how about I just split up the two of you and Will can go to Babette's, and you can get watched by Michel?"

Lucy's eyes widened. "No Daddy, not Michel!"

Even with all his years of training himself, Luke felt himself falling victim to the helpless Gilmore girl look that Lucy was giving him. His heart began to flutter. "Well, maybe not Michel's," he said, unable to completely punish his daughter. "But Babette and Michel are fair game unless one of you tells me what happened."

Will glared at his sister. After a few moments of looking at her brother, Lucy turned to him and said, "It's Will's fault!"

"It is not!" said Will immediately, indignant. "She's the one who wanted me to take her to Miss Patty's Firelight Festival story! It's the same every year, and I'm sick of hearing it."

"Yeah, but I really want to go! Mom and Daddy are gonna be busy at work, and the only way I can go is if you take me."

"Ask Miss Patty yourself! After all, you're her _favorite_."

"Hey, hey, hey," Luke said, breaking things up before Lucy could retort. "I think I see the problem here. So, Lucy wants to go to Miss Patty's story tomorrow, and you don't want to take her."

Will nodded.

"And Lucy, Will's the only way you're going to be able to go, because your mom and I will be too busy at work to take you there."

This time, Lucy nodded.

Luke suppressed a sigh. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we compromise? Will, you take Lucy to Miss Patty's, your mom and I will meet you there later, and then instead of staying for the town meeting afterwards, we'll all go to Sniffy's from there." Will, in particular, hated the town meetings. While he had admitted he had enjoyed being there for Lulu's announcement, on the times he was forced to go, he usually just got out a book and read the rest of the meeting away.

"But I want to go to the meeting!" Lucy said.

"This is a compromise," Luke reminded her. "Now, if you're lucky, then maybe your mom can take you to the Firelight Festival Friday." The elder Gilmores were out of town, which gave the family a relief from their infamous Friday night dinner that week.

"But why can't you and Will go to Sniffy's, and then Mom and I can go to the meeting and get take out to eat there?"

"Because this is a family," Luke said firmly, "and the last time you didn't come to Sniffy's because of your sleepover, Maisy asked specifically that you come next time. Besides, you and your mom have had enough junk food lately; I don't trust her to feed you anymore. Now, any questions, or is this clear?"

"Actually, I wouldn't mind going to the Firelight Festival too," Will said.

Luke looked at his son and sighed. "Will, aren't you supposed to be with me here?"

Will shrugged. "Sorry, Dad, but I like the Firelight Festival. Kirk's gonna do a whole song for Lulu and the baby this year."

"Oh, yeah, Miss Patty's been working with him!" Lucy said excitedly. "Mom and I were going to film it and send it to Rory! Miss Patty says he's gonna add a whole interpretive dance to go with it too. Come on, Daddy, you have to go! You just said that families do things together, and I want you to be there too! Besides, I'll miss you!"

"Fine," Luke said, softening as Lucy gave him the Gilmore pout. Really, it was Lorelai's fault for insisting that they add "Gilmore" as part of Lucy's middle name. "But don't expect me to stay long, you hear?"

Lucy, apparently, did not hear, because she began twirling around the room. "Daddy's coming with us!" she said, adding in a tap step for good measure. "Mom and Daddy and Will and I are all going to be there!" She stopped and attempted a pirouette. "Ooh, Daddy, do you think we can make sure Kirk drink some of Miss Patty's Founder's Day Punch? Mom says it makes people a lot sillier."

"And that," Luke muttered under his breath, still wondering how he had managed to fall victim to yet another Gilmore girl pout, "is why it is downright dangerous to have Lorelai Gilmore-Danes as your mother."

"Daddy, what are you talking about?" Lucy said, pausing mid twirl to look at him, as Will laughed.

"Nothing," he said quickly. Inside, he thought, _Tomorrow is going to be one hecka long day. _


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Here is Chapter Two! It's gonna definitely be four chapters total.

P.S. Yes, Luke has a laptop. But since this is something like 2019, I figure some other piece of grand technology has been invented, and Luke's still pretty out of the loop. ;)

XOXOXOXO

Next to dance, Lucy's favorite part of the day was being picked up from school. As social as she was, she also was extremely close to both of her parents and loved seeing them after school. While the Crap Shack (not so aptly named, now that it was significantly expanded since the days just Rory and Lorelai had been living there) was technically within walking distance, on most days, Lorelai would pick up Lucy and Will and join them for a short snack at the diner, before heading back off to the Dragonfly. Today was no exception.

"Mom!" said Lucy as soon as she spotted her outside of Stars Hallow's Elementary, rushing into her mother's arms. Will, who was already standing next to Lorelai, rolled his eyes. Lorelai ignored Will and hugged Lucy back.

"Hi, kiddo," said Lorelai. "How was your day today?"

"The best!" said Lucy, trying to ignore the expression on her brother's face. "During art class, we got to make these special star decorations for the festival tomorrow. I added lots and lots of glitter. I think I got some in my hair," she added. "I didn't mean to, but it just sorta happened."

Lorelai laughed. "Well, there are a whole lot worse things than getting glitter in your hair, I'll tell you that. You can wash it out later."

This time, Will could not hold back. "Like what? Mom, have you seen her hair? She looks like a whole container of glitter spilled there."

"Hey!" Lucy pouted. Lorelai gave Will a "be nice" look.

"I didn't mean anything," he defended himself. "I just mean she needs to wash it out, that's all."

"Mom, are you sure you can't get off of work?" Lucy asked. "I don't want to go with Will tonight."

"Sorry, Luce," said Lorelai. "There are a lot of tourists coming in because of the Firelight Festival, and it was all I could do to get away now. Your dad is having the same problem at the diner. He called early to make sure we were coming so he could know whether to reserve a table for us."

"Well, can I at least have a sip of your coffee today?" Lucy said hopefully. When Will and Lorelai looked at her, she frowned. "I was just asking!"

"Hey, you can ask all you want as long as your dad isn't around," Lorelai said, placing her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It keeps my confidence in tact to know that you're definitely my kid. Your brother, on the other hand…" She raised her eyebrows, and Lucy giggled. Will merely rolled his eyes. As much as he loved his mother, there were times where he questioned his father's sanity in marrying her.

When the threesome entered the diner, they found that it was just as busy as Luke had said. Their reserved table was their favorite, stationed by a window, where they sat whenever the counter was filled up. As it went, today they had an especially good view of Kirk, who was sitting in the middle of the diner. An empty seat was across from him, probably reserved for Lulu, and what looked like baby books filled up the table.

Lucy greeted her father with the same enthusiasm as she had greeted her mother, much to Will's embarrassment. "Will, I swear, I'm getting worried about you as a teenager," Lorelai said. "If you're already this bad when you're ten, how are you going to be in a few years?"

Ignoring her, Will took out a copy of _Tom Sawyer_. When he had first started reading, Rory had given him a piece of advice he had never forgotten: never go anywhere without a book.

Lucy, meanwhile, was telling Luke all about the stars she had made during art class. "I made three whole stars, more than anyone else in the whole class. Well, some of the boys made more, but they just poured glitter all over those. I made sure mine looked good. I decided to use different glitter for all the stars. My first one's gold, my second one's silver, and the third one I combined them both with a little pink glitter too, cause I couldn't decide. I know stars aren't pink, but it looked really pretty with the gold and silver. Tomorrow, we're gonna take a field trip and hang them up around town, so since you're coming to the festival, I'll get to show you them tomorrow. Lulu said my gold and silver and pink glittery one was really original. Well, I know I'm not supposed to call her Lulu since she's my teacher, but it's so hard to remember since I've known her so long. She found out the baby's definitely a boy though, so it's not just Kirk thinking that it probably is or something."

Luke and Lorelai exchanged glances, still amused by their daughter's ability to ramble. When Lucy really got going, she could sometimes ramble even more than Rory or her mother. Unlike her older sister, she rambled all the time, even if she wasn't nervous. Lucy's rambling sometimes made Luke's ears hurt.

"Well, uh, I'm sure your star is very pretty," Luke said. Though he still hated anything to do with the Firelight Festival, stars included, his experiences with April had taught him that sometimes it was wise to just go along with his kids' enthusiasm. He motioned to the crowd in back of them. "I have to get back to serving, though, so I'll just bring out your usuals and-"

"Ooh, Daddy, I forgot!" Lucy said. She reached into her Hello Kitty backpack and pulled out a baseball cap Lorelai had gotten her a few months ago, after Lucy had gotten jealous of Will for getting a cap of his own after he and Luke went to baseball game. Lucy's baseball cap, of course, was as different as Will's and Luke's as it could be; it was soft pink and was dotted with rhinestones on the rim. After setting her cap on the table, Lucy pulled out one of Will's.

Will looked up from his book to see his baseball cap laid out on the table. "What are you doing with my baseball cap?" he said suspiciously. "Did you go into my room to find it?"

"No, of course not," said Lucy defensively. "I know I'm not allowed in your room. You left it on the kitchen table this morning, and I brought it with me. I thought you'd want it."

Will shrugged. "No thanks." After another glance at the baseball caps in question, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Wait, you brought yours too? You didn't want us both to wear them, did you?"

"Umm…" Lucy suddenly became very preoccupied in twirling her hair.

"Mom!" said Will, turning to Lorelai. "You can't let her do this! We're not twins. Make her stop."

"Hey, kiddo, it's not my fault your sister got the idea," Lorelai said, touching Will on the shoulder. "Besides, there's no law that says you have to wear yours. Between Lucy and your dad, I think there will be enough of our family wearing baseball caps today."

"But it will be better this way!" Lucy exclaimed. "Maisy told me last time that my hat was ad-adorable and that we should all wear our hats next time. We can get Mom one too!"

Will's eyes widened. "Mom, can you get her to stop? Please, please. There's no way we're all wearing baseball caps. No way."

Luke sighed. "Can I please go back now? Things are really busy."

Both Will and Lorelai nodded, but Lucy surveyed her father anxiously. "Is it okay if I wear the hat?" she asked him. "I mean, you're okay with us being twins, right?"

Luke found himself softening as he looked at the serious expression on Lucy's face. "Luce, I love your hat," he told her. "I agree with Will that it's a little much for us all to wear baseball caps, but Will and I are twins with our hats all the time. Of course I don't mind being twins with you, too. I mean, I draw the line at wearing the same hat are you, but as for us both wearing baseball caps, yeah, that's fine."

"Okay, you can go back to work now," Lucy said. "I was just making sure. Ooh, can you give me extra whipped cream on my hot chocolate? Pretty please?"

Chuckling, Luke walked away to place the orders, nowhere as stressed by the amount of customers as before. Behind him, Will said, "Do I _really _have to take Lucy's to Miss Patty's? Can't she just go by herself?"

"Will, you know Lucy's not old enough to go by herself yet," Lorelai said sternly. "It will only be an hour, anyway. Besides, when has anything stopped you from ignoring everything and going off to your own corner to read?"

"I guess," Will grumbled, but he surprised them by brightening slightly. "Mom, do you think Dad will let me use his laptop?"

"I'm sure he will," Lorelai answered, curious now. "Why?"

"No reason," Will said, shrugging. "I just wanted to Google something for my homework, that's all."

Lucy looked at Lorelai as Will got up to ask his father whether he could use the laptop. "Why does he need the laptop now?" she asked. "He hates email and things."

"I don't know, youngest child of mine," Lorelai replied, watching as Will got out the laptop, a thoughtful look on his face. "Something tells me your brother is up to something."

XOXOXO

Miss Patty's dance studio had gone through an enormous transformation since Will had last been there a few days before, when his mom and he had picked up Lucy from tap.

The studio was decorated to the brim with thousands of stars. Not only were there the typical cardboard stars, covered with aluminum, but there were also some glow-in-the-dark stars and even a few stray Christmas ornament hanging from the ceilings. Sprinkled on the floor were star shaped sequins. Lucy actually looked as though she fit in, with all of the glitter in her hair.

As the other children made their way to the floor outside of the podium, Will took a seat towards the back of the dance studio. He reached into his pocket and glanced at the list he had compiled from Google. Although looking at it made him smile, Will had his own hesitations about sharing the list. Contrary to how he reacted around Lucy, Will was a very sweet boy. His mother often said that Will reminded her a lot of Rory as a child, but with his father's edge. Even his teachers agreed that were it not for the traits he had inherited from his father, Will would have been the splitting image in terms of personality as his older sister.

Though he agreed with his father about the stupidity of the town events, he had never brought attention to the events' stupidity before. Taylor was already suspicious enough of him as it was, and usually, mocking them with his father satisfied him. The only person he purposefully tried to annoy with his rants was Lucy, and that was because she was his little sister. Ranting in front of an audience-especially since Miss Patty would probably tell Taylor about it later-was still a little daunting, even if he knew speaking up was the only way he could possibly change things.

Before Will could decide one way or another, he was interrupted by a familiar voice calling his name. He looked up to see Miss Patty standing in front of him, her dangly star earrings clinging together. "Will, darling, why don't you sit with the other children?" Miss Patty asked him, motioning to the carpet where the other kids were sitting. Lucy was already engaged in a conversation with several girls from her class. "You don't want to miss the story, do you?"

"Uh, I'm fine," said Will, feeling uncomfortable under Miss Patty's gaze. Although as the story went, the entire town had been waiting at Babette's with a surprise party as soon as Will had been brought home from the hospital, and he had thus known Miss Patty since he was only a day old, Miss Patty made him nervous sometimes. He hated the fact that she probably talked about him behind his back, and it made Will nervous about saying anything to her.

"I mean," he said, deciding that this would be a safe excuse, "I really need to get this book done for a book report, and, uh, I can still read from here."

"Oh, all right," said Miss Patty, though she still eyed him suspiciously. It was times like this that Will wished he wasn't such a reader, as reading for school often made a good excuse. "We'll be over here if you want to come." She walked back to the podium, and Will suppressed a sigh, half wishing he could accept the story like all of the other children.

As Miss Patty began the story of the lovers who came from different counties and eventually found refuge in Stars Hallow, Will struggled to lose himself in his book. Even Tom Sawyer's and Huck Finn's adventures weren't enough to distract him. Ever since Lucy had been born, Will had been the second fiddle to his dazzling little sister. He knew his parents loved him, and he wouldn't give up his close relationship with Rory or his grandfather for anything in the world, but as far as the rest of Stars Hallow went, he was nothing. It was Lucy who Miss Patty bragged was her favorite student; Lucy who could even get someone like Gypsy to almost smile. His mother had told him once that one of the reasons she had been pushed away from April was because Luke was worried Lorelai would outshine him; "He told me I was like a cartoon character," she'd laughed, no longer daunted by their year apart. Although Will had laughed too, he knew the feeling. He was a good student and easily the best player on his school's baseball team, but as far as popularity went, Lucy outshone him.

His heart beating, Will took a breath. The others did not even notice when he stood up, so immersed were they in Miss Patty's story. "Miss Patty?" He must not have spoken loud enough, because no one turned around. He tried again. "Miss Patty?"

This time, Miss Patty looked up with a mixture of concern and annoyance; concern, because it wasn't like Will to interrupt for no reason, and annoyance, because she hated being interrupted from her story. "What is it, Will dear?"

"I-I don't think you should tell that story."

After he stated those words, he found he could not stop talking. All his life, he had been around the rambling women in his family, but it wasn't until that moment that the Gilmore gene kicked in.

"I mean, the story's fine. It's, uh, really nice and romantic, but, uh, just because Taylor said so doesn't mean it really happened. Actually, I got this list from Google, and it didn't say anything about the Firelight Festival being real or anything. It said it was a 'legend,' and that, according to that museum at the Twickham house a while ago, the first founders were the Jebediah family or something. And since the story's, you know, a legend, I don't think you should tell people it, cause you don't want them to think it's true or anything. Besides, it's basically a rip off of _Romeo and Juliet_…and _Pyramus and Thisbe_ too, I guess, cause according to Google again, that's what _Romeo and Juliet _was based off of…only, it has a happy ending and stuff. And, well, we listen to the same story every year, and it never changes, and…well, I just thought that if we have this festival, as much as I liked it, cause really, I like it much better than Dad…well, if we have this festival, then we might as well have it for a real couple, that's all."

As he took a deep breath, he realized everyone was staring at him. A hush had fallen over the room. Will was just about to sit back down and get back to reading in defeat, when Lucy interrupted the silence. "Will!" she cried, glaring at him from beneath her pink baseball cap. "I thought you wouldn't do this! The whole point of the, um, you know, _compromise_ was to let me do this!"

Will suddenly felt guilty. Humiliating his younger sister in front of his parents was one thing, but humiliating her in front of her friends was quite another. "I'm sorry, Luce," he said weakly. "I just thought-"

Lucy turned to Miss Patty, upset now. "Miss Patty, go on with the story. Will's gonna get in big trouble when we get home. Please, please, just finish?"

That was when the racket started. Everyone started talking at once. Will watched, stunned by what he had created, as a thousand different voices crept up. To his further surprise, not everyone agreed with Lucy, as he had expected. Instead-including several boys from his own class, who had also clearly been roped into taking their younger siblings-several kids spoke up in favor of _his _opinion. Will was beginning to feel dizzy. _I started something, _he thought, half horrified, half awed. _For the first time in my life, I didn't just watch. I actually started something._

It was this realization that made him stand up a little straighter.

Finally, after a few minutes of this, Miss Patty's voice finally cut through the crowd. "Calm down!" She smiled weakly at the crowd, her gaze lingering on Will. "Now I'm not arguing that Will has some, um, points, but I'm going to finish my story. However," she said, before anyone could speak up, "I think I have the perfect story to finish things up-two lovers with _evidence_ of living in Stars Hallow. Will dear, do you mind sitting up front just while you finish this? Sit next to Lucy, if you don't mind. I think this is a story you're going to both enjoy."

Will was too stunned to say protest. "Uh, sure," he said, ignoring the glare from Lucy as he sat down next to her. Miss Patty finished the story, but with a great lack of enthusiasm compared to all previous years. She smiled at them. "Now, who's ready for the other story I promised?"

"Me!" said everyone but Will, who was still dazed, and Lucy, who was still glaring at him.

Miss Patty's gaze lingered on Will and Lucy before she cleared her throat. Will half expected Miss Patty to go into a story of one of her ex-husbands, but that didn't explain why she wanted him to hear. Still looking at Will and Lucy, Miss Patty said, "All right, then. It was a spring day, some twenty odd years ago, and Babette and I were sitting at a table in the diner when it all began."


	3. Chapter 3

XOXOXO

"It was a spring day, some twenty odd years ago, and Babette and I were sitting at a table in the diner when it all began. We were talking about how her cat at the time, poor Cinnamon, wasn't feeling too well, and how she and Morey hadn't had time to, um, spend time together like they'd wanted in a while, when we suddenly noticed that this bright eyed woman was trailing after the Luke, talking about a hundred words a minute, begging him for a cup of coffee. The woman, of course, was none other than the vivacious Lorelai Gilmore, who, at this time, lived with her daughter Rory, who was only about eleven or twelve."

Everyone had begun to stare at Lucy and Will now. Lucy was now smiling, obviously pleased with the attention, but Will was flushing. He could hardly believe Miss Patty had dared to tell _this _story. No wonder she had been so determined to have him hear it!

Oblivious, Miss Patty rambled on. "As Lorelai continued to bother Luke for her coffee, Babette and I suddenly got a glimpse of the expression on Luke's face. He looked like he'd just seen a goddess coming out of the water, he was so startled. Of course, Luke tried to hide it, as he was much grumpier then, but we had seen the way his eyes widened. At the time, he was just getting over his long standing girlfriend, Rachel, but even Rachel hadn't made his eyes bug out like this." Miss Patty sighed in remembrance. "I can still remember how Luke took a deep breath after watching Lorelai leave on that fateful day.

"After that, Lorelai's love for coffee made her visits to the diner a regular part of her day. Usually, she would come in with Rory right before school, and as time went on, the two girls would sometimes have dinner there, too. Poor Luke didn't know what to with himself. Here she was, this annoying, yet attractive woman that Luke found himself falling in love with. Lorelai called him Duke at the time, so to Luke, it must have seemed like he was in love with someone who didn't even know his name. Although Babette and I were eager for him to make a move, Luke did no such thing. While he made an effort with Rory-no small feat, considering he was nowhere as good with kids as he's become-he acted even grumpier around Lorelai than ever. It became a vicious cycle with Luke grousing about the junk food Rory and Lorelai ordered, and Lorelai ordering the food and teasing him in order to get a reaction. The sexual tension was so thick that I almost wanted to-" She stopped suddenly, as though realizing her audience. The boys in the room were staring at her. "What I meant to say is," said Miss Patty, forcing a smile onto her stricken face, "is that it was a happy day for all of us when Lorelai finally began calling him Luke."

"Your mother was a heartbreaker," whispered Cale, a boy in Will's class. Will just shrugged, hoping that Cale couldn't see how red his face was.

"For the next eight years, we watched as Lorelai and Luke got closer. Slowly, their strictly coffee relationship forged into a tentative friendship. Lorelai called Luke over whenever she needed some work done on her house, and Luke was always there whenever Lorelai and Rory needed him. His diner became the go-to place whenever Rory and Lorelai were discussing something serious." She smiled here, confirming that she had eavesdropped on Rory's and Lorelai's conversations on many occasions in the past. "Still, that, um, tension I was telling you about remained. There were a few times we were so sure they were going to get together, but Lorelai always had a boyfriend, and she almost got married to one that time, and Luke, well, Lorelai just never seemed to see him. Although they had a few fights over the years, which would cause Lorelai to avoid coming to the diner, overall, they were very close. Babette and I just couldn't wait for those babies." Will flushed even brighter as Cale raised his eyebrows at him. Lucy was still hanging on Miss Patty's every word.

"It was Rory's freshman year at Yale when Luke and Lorelai finally started getting closer. Luke had married a lawyer on a whim, and Lorelai finally seemed to show some signs of jealousy. Babette and I were just so happy, we couldn't believe it. When Luke divorced the lawyer, it seemed that fate was finally on the couple's side.

"Still, we were surprised when Luke and Lorelai didn't get together sooner. Luke did invite Lorelai to his sister's wedding, though, and after that, a strange air came over them. Babette and I weren't sure what to make of it, since though Luke and Lorelai certainly seemed different, they also weren't acting like most couples did. We hadn't noticed any signs of physical affection or even lingering looks between them. Babette also hadn't seen any activity outside of Lorelai's house, and since they were next-door neighbors even then, she certainly would have noticed. We had a whole discussion with Eastside Tilly about whether or not the time had come. Finally, it seemed that it had." She gave them a saucy grin. "Remind me to tell you when you're all a little older. Though Taylor was worried about what Luke's and Lorelai's breakup might do to the economy of Stars Hallow, Taylor Doose was no match to keep Luke and Lorelai apart.

"After that, things seemed to be going wonderfully between them. Both Luke and Lorelai looked happier than they had in a long time. Luke had waited eight long years through all of Lorelai's relationships, and Lorelai finally seemed to realize that Luke truly was the one. Though they had a short breakup, they soon got back together, and by the following year, we learned they were getting married. No, no, no big engagement story to report," Miss Patty said with a sigh, as some of the little girls eyed her eagerly. "They decided to take the modern route, and Lorelai proposed to Luke. Still, it was very romantic, and an engagement is an engagement, no matter how unconventional." Miss Patty sighed again, and Will rolled his eyes, noting that this fact still seemed to depress her. "Of course, Luke accepted her proposal.

"Lorelai and Rory were having a bit of trouble at the time, but between Luke and Lorelai, things still seemed to be going swimmingly. They were so happy around each other, and even Luke was nowhere as grumpy as normal. We finally thought that our couple had had it made, and that nothing could stop them from finally getting married. Unfortunately, at just around the time Rory and Lorelai made up, a little girl started coming to Luke's. Babette and I explored the gossip, and we finally learned that the little girl was none other than April Nardini, Luke's love child-oh, I'm sorry, don't tell your parents I said that; you're a bit too young to be hearing that term-from a previous relationship. April was twelve at the time, and Luke hadn't known she existed until April came to him for ha paternity experiment she was doing for her science project. You've seen April around," Miss Patty said as an aside. "She's about twenty-five now, very bright, and is just finishing her Master's in Biochemistry from Harvard. Oh, Will and Lucy, did I hear right that she's dating that nice boy she met at school right now, and your father was very cool towards him at Christmas, since he thinks she's not good enough for her?" Will shrugged, knowing better than to tell anything to Miss Patty. After a jab from Will, Lucy also shook her head. Miss Patty sighed again. "Ah, well, I'm sure I'll find out in time.

"Though upset Luke hadn't told her beforehand, Lorelai thought that she and Luke could be just like Gwen and Gavin, these two singers from before your time, who also had a similar case with a lovechild appearing out of the blue. However, that just didn't seem to be in the cards. Luke postponed the wedding in order to get to know April better, and he made no effort to include Lorelai in his relationship with his daughter. Of course, it was also April's mother's fault, who didn't want April getting attached to someone who might not be permanent, but we didn't find that out until later. Silly woman. Who could be more permanent and perfect for each other than Luke and Lorelai?" Miss Patty clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Needless to say, the engagement was called off a year later. It was a whole big scandal, and no one was more heartbroken than Babette or me-and well, Lorelai and Luke and Rory too, of course. Luke didn't even wear his famous baseball cap, which Lorelai had given him, and switched to a much less attractive hat instead. We started wondering whether the two really were meant for each other. Babette especially was wondering, but I was firm that we needed to still have faith. It didn't help that Lorelai also married Rory's father at the time, and while Luke and Lorelai managed to somewhat salvage a friendship, that considerably tensed things. Naturally, Lorelai and that Christopher's marriage barely lasted for a couple of months, and once they divorced, I was certain Luke and Lorelai would get back together in no time. Well, I hoped.

"Of course, being Luke and Lorelai, things weren't as easy as all that. It still took a few more months before Lorelai was willing to get coffee at Luke's again and for Luke to in return to start wearing Lorelai's baseball cap. Their friendship was strengthening, but past experience had reminded us that both Luke and Lorelai were too stubborn to easily make a move. Even I was starting to give up home when, near Rory's graduation, Lorelai attended a karaoke party we were having. Giving no mind to the beautiful duet Babette and I had completed, she went up onstage and wowed us all. The song she chose was 'I Will Always Love You,' by another singer you're all too young to have heard of, Dolly Parton. You know," Miss Patty said, lighting up at the idea, "I'm sure I could sort through some of my C.D.'s and play it for you, though nothing beats a Lorelai performance, of course…or not," she said quickly, as a few of the little girls glared at her, eager for the story to continue. Will, for his part, had a bad feeling that he and Lucy were going to hear their mother's rendition later. _Please don't let Lucy mention it to her, _he thought.

"Though Lorelai had intended to sing the song for Rory, Luke walked in, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you what happened there. Blinking back tears, Lorelai gave a heartfelt performance, adding genuineness to the soulful ballad. One would have expected Luke to have gone up onstage and kissed her or at least for Lorelai to have confessed to Luke that she did indeed mean the song for him, but of course, those stubborn fools couldn't bring themselves to do that. Both were too afraid to make the move, yet again. When we confronted her, Lorelai denied it.

"The town was working on all sorts of schemes to help them get over their stubbornness, when an unexpected job as an online reporter for the former President Obama's campaign changed the plans for Rory's graduation party. There wasn't enough time to plan a new one, as Rory was going to leave in only three days. That was when Luke finally stepped up and got us all involved in arranging a party for Rory. He even arranged a special, private town meeting for it, and as I'm sure I don't have to tell you, Luke Danes does not do town meetings. The party went off without a hitch, and despite Luke's determination to be modest, Lorelai found out that he was the leading factor in the party, anyway. Babette and I turned around during the party to find Luke and Lorelai sharing a kiss." A few of the girls cheered.

"After that, Luke and Lorelai stayed together, and all was as it was as it was meant to be. And that is why without a doubt, not insulting your own parents of course, Luke and Lorelai truly are the most destined couple in Stars Hallow." Miss Patty smiled at this conclusion, clearly pleased with herself. "It's a good story, isn't it?"

The kids all nodded, but Will's hopes that the story was over were dashed when the children noticed two wide eyed people standing by the door. Luke and Lorelai stood there, having obviously been stunned into silence. "Mom and Daddy!" Lucy squealed, rushing up to embrace her parents. "You're just in time! Miss Patty was just telling us about you!"

"I see," said Lorelai, putting on a smile. Luke, for his part, looked as surprised and disgusted as the time he'd accidentally taken a sip of coffee.

"So, were you telling the story this whole time?" Lorelai said, addressing Miss Patty.

"Oh, no," Lucy said, speaking for her. "First she told the normal Stars Hallow story, but Will got mad and stopped her, cause he said she should tell a real story about an actual romance, and he still thinks those lovers didn't really exist. At first I was mad at him for ruining it, but then Miss Patty told us about you, so now I'm really glad he did that."

Both parents tilted their heads in Will's direction. Feeling his cheeks flaming for the millionth time that evening, Will hung down his head. It was just his luck for things to have backfired. He was still proud of himself for speaking up, but he wished it wasn't his parents Miss Patty had chosen to talk about.

"Yeah, it seems like that," said Lorelai. She nudged her husband. "Hey, Luke, don't you think that's a great story?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, a really great story," said Luke, still looking dazed. "Definitely, totally, one of the best." He looked at the dance teacher, who was now avoiding his gaze. "Miss Patty, can we-"

"A totally great and amazing story," Lorelai said, interrupting him, as she shot him a look. She approached the crowd of children closer. "So, hey, do you have any questions? Not to dispute Miss Patty's storytelling, of course, cause she really got the details down but you know, I was there, and she wasn't, so I just thought maybe I could maybe answer something."

"I do!" said Janie, a loud girl in Lucy's class, waving her hand around frantically. "Did you finally get engaged the right way? Cause my mom says that it's important to get engaged the right way, with the man proposing and no babies on the way. Otherwise God is really unhappy."

Luke and Lorelai exchanged quick glances. Will felt his own pulse quickening after this statement. It was something he rarely thought about, but every so often, was reminded of. With Rory and April as his sisters, he knew his situation had worked out much better than theirs had, but it was still something he avoided thinking about.

"Oh, my dad proposed that time," Lucy said, oblivious. "It was the fall after they got together, and she went to the diner, and he brought her out this coffee cup." She frowned. "That's the way it happened, right?"

"Yes," Lorelai assured her quickly. She grinned. "Of course, I was actually disappointed because I thought he was bringing me out coffee, and I, uh, couldn't have coffee at the time, but as soon as I saw the ring in my cup, I knew. We got married when Rory was let off the campaign for Christmas, just a few months later."

The little girls all "aww-ed" in approval. Sensing the annoyance on both her husband's and Will's faces, Lorelai pulled Luke's arm. Putting on a bright smile, she said, "Well, we have to go now-we have reservations for dinner-but you all have a good night, okay?"

"Bye, Lorelai!" the girls chorused, Lucy glowing with pride for her mother. Miss Patty smiled as Lorelai waved at them. Will stood up, feeling the lingering stares from his classmates. _Please don't let them remember this tomorrow_, he thought.

"Happy Firelight Festival!" Lorelai called, before turning away. Lucy grabbed her mother's free hand, still pleased with how things had panned out.

After they began their route to Sniffy's, awkwardness filled the air. An oblivious Lucy was jabbering on about how romantic it had all been and about how proud she was to be her parents' daughter. Will was staring out the window, wishing that there was enough light for him to read.

"Well, that was interesting," Will heard his mother say under her breath, as an oblivious Lucy continued her monologue.

"You got that right," Luke muttered.

Will managed to smile. In spite of often feeling inferior to his younger sister, he was grateful that his parents felt the same way about Miss Patty's story as he did.

XOXOXO

Meanwhile, as the couple of note and their children were having pasta at Sniffy's-pasta that had been brought out to them, in spite of their pleas to order what they wanted from the menu-a fervid debate at the Stars Hallow town meeting was taking place.

"I'm not saying that our normal story isn't beautiful, but Will has a good point," said Miss Patty. "In all likelihood, it didn't happen, and why not use a real couple instead of a fairy story? The children took very well to this story, and I know some of us adults would, too."

"Patty, please, think about what you're saying," Taylor said. "I'm as much for change as the next person"-here, everyone suppressed a snort-"but the story is a tradition. Besides, we're talking about Luke and Lorelai, here. It's all well that they're together, but they also made some very big mistakes in the past."

"Oh, are you talking about having Rory and April out of wedlock?" Babette said. "Because Taylor, if ya are, I honestly think you're the only one who even still thinks about it anymore. I know I sure don't." A round of agreement followed.

"I'm not just talking about Rory and April," Taylor said, speaking over them. "I'm also not blind. I realize when Will's conception must have taken place. All I'm asking is if using them for a couple is the best message to send out to Stars Hallow."

"Aw, Taylor, you're a piece of work," said Babette. "You know how happy Luke and Lorelai were to be back together, and ya know that Lorelai's clock was ticking down, too. Even if they weren't careful, so what? Knowing how stubborn about taking things slow the two of them were, I bet Will was the best thing to happen to them. He's probably what finally convinced them to get into motion and kick their butts into gear in the first place."

"Well, what about the normal story then?" Taylor said, still not willing to let Stars Hallow win. "The whole joy of that story is that it answers how Stars Hallow was named, and Luke and Lorelai's story answers nothing of the sort."

"Taylor, during that museum you made with the Twickham house, you admitted that the lovers weren't even the first people who came here in the first place," Miss Patty said. "You've been searching for years, and there's still no evidence about how Stars Hallow got its name. Will mentioned it himself, and if a child of ten is able to figure out the truth, then it's only a matter of time before younger children do too. Will isn't the only Stars Hallow resident gifted with using the Internet, you know. If you ask me, we should keep our normal story for the younger children and use Luke and Lorelai as an example for the older ones."

Taylor snorted. "I don't think we need to make a drastic decision just because that mini Luke thinks so."

"Taylor, you need to stop being so hard on Will," Sookie spoke up, from her perch next to Jackson. Davey, Martha, Daisy, Kwan, and Steve were all at Sookie and Jackson's house together, which gave Jackson and Sookie, and Lane and Zach, a rare opportunity to go out by themselves. "It's true he might have some of his father's qualities, but he's really a sweet boy once you get to know him. Will's like Rory. He wouldn't hurt a fly if it came near him."

Taylor sighed. "I suppose that's true. It's just so hard to see that boy and to not think about how much he's like his father."

"Why do Luke and Lorelai get to be the main couple?" Kirk asked. "What about Lulu and me? We've been together longer."

Several crowd members sighed. "Kirk, you and Lulu might have been together longer, but if you think we're going to make the couple over Luke and Lorelai, you need your head examined," said Gypsy. "Not that you don't already," she muttered.

"Kirk, it's okay," said Lulu, patting her husband on the arm. Kirki ignored her.

"But we're having a baby," he said, still perplexed. "It would mean a lot to my son if Lulu and I got this honor."

"Kirk, we know this would mean a lot to you, but Luke and Lorelai already had two children of their own eight years before you and Lulu did," said Miss Patty patiently. "It's true that you and Lulu have been together longer, not counting the fact that Lorelai and Luke got married before you, but Luke and Lorelai's stubbornness is part of their charm. It made for some very effective storytelling today. I'm afraid Lulu's and your story simply doesn't have the ups and downs and dramatic twists as Luke and Lorelai's story does."

"I personally think it's a good idea," Lane said. "Watching Luke and Lorelai was like watching a real life romance film. I mean, Luke probably wouldn't like to hear it, but I still smile when I see their family together sometimes. Don't I, Zach?" she said, nudging her husband, who had started to nod off to sleep.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," said Zach, waking up.

"Taylor, one of the duties of town selectman is to listen to your town," Jackson said knowingly. "I'd advise you keep that in mind unless you want me to run against you again, because I could definitely do that."

"Jackson!" Sookie said, remembering how stressed he'd gotten before. Jackson merely shrugged.

"I'm just threatening him," he whispered. "It's done me good before. I don't really plan to run or anything."

After a long survey at the town, Taylor sighed. "Well, I guess a vote wouldn't do any harm, but I do like Miss Patty's idea about keeping both stories in tack," he said reluctantly. "Now everyone in favor of Luke and Lorelai becoming our official Firelight Festival couple, raise your hand."

Everyone raised their hands with the exception of Kirk, who still wanted to part of the official couple, and Carrie, who still harbored feelings for Luke after all these years. Taylor surveyed the town with disbelief. "All of you?" he said. When they nodded, he looked at them again. "Gypsy, what about you? Surely you don't agree with this."

"I never liked the Firelight Festival, but I think this makes a lot more sense than two lovers who didn't exist," said Gypsy, shrugging. "Besides, it's sure to tick Luke off, and that's good for me."

This last statement seemed to appeal greatly to Taylor, for a small smile began to grace his face. "That's true," he said, nodding. "It might be just what the town needs to spice things up a little." He beamed at them. "The matter of Luke and Lorelai becoming our official Firelight Festival couple is now in force."

The crowd cheered, eager to see how this new addition would affect the festival.

"I still think Lulu and I should have been chosen," Kirk muttered under his breath.

"Don't worry, dear," said Miss Patty, after a look at Babette. "Something tells me Luke will be envying you before tomorrow is done."


End file.
